FMLA Absences Continue to Rise; New FMLASource Report Shows Industries With Most Workers on Leave

CHICAGO, June 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) absences are on the rise, and some sectors – call centers, hotels, government entities, manufacturers and health care organizations – far surpass others in terms of absenteeism rates, according to a new report by FMLASource^®, Inc., a ComPsych^® company. ComPsych Corporation is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs and is the pioneer and leading provider of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources brand.

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From 2008 to 2012, FMLASource reports the following trends: 

• Average length of continuous leave for health care employees jumped 27 percent to 28 days
• Total FMLA time off for manufacturing companies increased by 62 percent to 26.9 days
• Total FMLA time off for call center companies increased by 30 percent to 27.2 days

Other key findings of the report:

• Hospitality providers had the most overall FMLA absences, with 49 percent of employees with an open FMLA leave at any given time
• Health care employers had the second highest rate of FMLA absences, with 39 percent of their workforce having an open FMLA leave at any given time
• By contrast, just 7 percent of professional services employees have an open FMLA leave at any given time
• Hospitality providers had the highest rate of intermittent leave at 58 percent, with average leave per employee equaling 17 days total
• Manufacturing employers had the highest rate of continuous FMLA leave at 76 percent, with average leave per employee equaling 31.4 days  

To see the full report, including the impact of FMLASource on absenteeism rates, go to http://bit.ly/18LhQKC.

FMLASource is a service that reviews, approves, processes and tracks leave requests with the oversight of expert legal staff, helping organizations reduce the amount of absences while complying with the complexities of the act. FMLASource also integrates with ComPsych GuidanceResources programs, including comprehensive EAP and work-life services. The top reasons for FMLA absences – (1) personal illness/injury, (2) caring for a child and (3) caring for an elderly relative – are employee issues that can be addressed by an EAP/work-life program. When applicable, FMLASource refers employees to these services to reduce the length of the absence and speed return to work.

About ComPsych
ComPsych^® Corporation is the world's largest provider of employee assistance programs (EAP) and is the pioneer and worldwide leader of fully integrated EAP, behavioral health, wellness, work-life, HR and FMLA administration services under the GuidanceResources^® brand. ComPsych provides services to more than 19,000 organizations covering more than 53 million individuals throughout the U.S. and over 120 countries. By creating "Build-to-Suit" programs, ComPsych helps employers attract and retain employees, increase employee productivity and improve overall health and well-being. For more information, visit www.compsych.com and follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ComPsych. 

SOURCE ComPsych Corporation